I think my fondest memory of basic at Fort Gordon, Ga., came during our sixth week. We had begun to settle in to the rigors of some hellacious training. One evening at lights out, one of my buddies, Fiermont, called out this command, "Prepare to sleep, sleep!"

That to me was the epitome of one's training as a young man.

Our time frame was September 1964 to August 1966. I pray that my buddies served well and came home safely.